Imperialists, Puppets and Mercenaries

Sunset on the Mekong
see all photos »

Add a bit of French colonialism, some diced American imperialism and Pathet Lao communism, with a sprinkle of NGOs; you get Laos' capital Vientiane! After arriving at the bus station we headed towards accommodation central, ending up on the doorsteps of Thawee Guesthouse. We thought that we had found a wicked deal: air-con, tv and ensuite for K100,000 for two nights, after bargaining from K60,000 per night. All we wanted was a fan with a shared bathroom. This was great because we had already heard accommodation was much more expensive in Vientiane than the rest of Laos.

The amazing Cultural Hall
see all photos »

We met Gabez and Matt at a cafe "on the main street" (not the best directions) as they had arrived the day before. We told them about our great find and they came to check in. This is when we found out that Thawee actually wanted K100,000 per night! The guy tried to say he meant K60,000 for a single, but what would a couple want with a single bed? We're not Catholic. Much shouting ensued and we left without paying but got five hours of free storage and a bottle of water.

Much shouting ensued and we left without paying...

1 million kip! Sean is sporting a Lao haircut.
see all photos »

Instead we moved to Lao Sakhone for K45,000 with an ensuite and fan. Watching the sunset over the Mekong with a cold Beer Lao improved our initial impressions of Vientiane.

Having an ensuite was a blessing the next day because Adrienne had a bout of travellers sickness. Our morning wasn't exciting but Adrienne improved enough by the afternoon to spend some time on the internet. Sean went for a tour of the Morning Market (closes at 5pm) and had a vile papaya salad; too much fish sauce (a favourite of many of the peoples in this part of the world). Pepsi was required to cleanse his palate. Like most market, this is a maze of stalls and you can buy handicrafts from all over Laos, jewellery (made in the back of the market), t-shirts and whatever else is desired in a hybrid communist/capitalist country.

Patuxai
see all photos »

Adrienne felt better the next day and after half a jam baguette we headed to Patuxai. It's a half finished oriental Arc d'Triomphe and constructed from concrete meant for the airport. Seven stories high, we made it to the top but Adrienne was buggered. An ice block and cold water on the way to the National Museum helped revive her for a while. We even picked up David, who we travelled with into Laos, on the way.

The National Museum (K10,000 pp) is opposite the magnificent looking Cultural Hall and is definitely worth a visit. Why? It presents information about prehistoric Laos and more interestingly, the official Laos perspective on the first and second Indochina Wars. During these wars the French treated the Lao like dogs and the Americans bombed the country back to the Stone Age. There were plenty of photos and weapons on display. We did find it funny to hear references to "American imperialists" their "puppets" and the "Thai mercenaries".

A shot from inside Patuxai
see all photos »

We were picked up just after 7pm for the bus to Pakxe. We had decided on a VIP bus because the local bus took 13 hours (K85,000). Our guesthouse gave us a discount from K150,000 to K140,000. The bus left from the Southern Bus Terminal (9km from the town centre) at 8:30pm. We were impressed with the bus, with a free meal, toilet and comfortable seats. The 9 hour bus ride went quickly and we were in Pakxe to experience southern Laos.